Ford Focus 2015-2018 used car review

Used-cars and their relative merits are sometimes a case of shades of grey.

And other times it’s far more black and white. It’s hardly rare, however, for columns like this to state categorically that you should give a particular make and model a pass.

And a great example of that was the LW model Ford Focus, sold here from 2011 to 2015.

In most areas, the first of the third-gen Focuses was okay but nothing special. But if, like the vast majority of Australia car-purchasers, you wanted you Focus with a self-shifting transmission, then the Focus from this era is absolutely off-limits.

And that’s because the transmission, Ford’s double-clutch attempt dubbed Powershift (the 'f' was silent, apparently) was a pinless grenade.

And that’s not just this column making that statement; the general view is confirmed by no lesser consumer-right advocate than the ACCC which ultimately weighed into the argument between Ford and its hapless Focus customers, condemning Ford’s handling of the situation. The Federal Court agreed, denouncing Ford’s conduct as 'unconscionable’.

Ford was fined $10million for, according to the ACCC, suggesting that faults with the Powershift transmission were the result of mis-use by owners, and that the company should have been more pro-active in replacing faulty cars.

The ACCC also estimated that at least half of the Powershift-equipped Fords in Australia had required repairs at least once. Those are bad odds for any make or model. So, no, you don’t want a Focus (or any other Ford) with a Powershift transmission.

But what you might want to consider is the car that replaced the doomed LW Focus, the LZ.

Although it carried a new model name, it would have amounted to a facelift for any other brand that wasn’t trying to rid the market’s collective memory of the disaster that went before it.

So while the body was essentially the same, there were a few revisions including a stiffer front sub-frame and revised suspension bushes and geometry.

The previously scattergun interior was also cleaned up with fewer individual buttons to confuse the driver.

But the big changes were under the bonnet where the turbo-diesel was dropped, the normally aspirated engines became a single, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and two-pedal versions of the Focus got a good old-fashioned, torque-converter six-speed automatic.

All this happened in 2015 with the new Focus launched in September of that year, with Ford dealers offering trade-in deals to owners of the troublesome LW model (deals over which the ACCC also levelled criticism).

The point being that plenty of LW owners took up the offer of a new Focus without a Powershift transmission and stepped up to the LZ model.

For a lot of others, however, the Focus badge was tarnished beyond fixing (until a truly all-new model arrives) so the later LZ model remains, if not an orphan exactly, less of an achiever than it might have been.

And that’s especially so because it was actually a pretty good car.

While the conventional automatic gearbox addressed the majority of fears, the new engine was at least as big a deal, or would have been without the shadow hanging over the whole car.

At just 1.5 litres, the new turbo-motor was typical of the industry-wide downsizing that was going on, but it was actually a great unit with 132kW and 240Nm for plenty of performance. And while the previous Focus’ non-turbo engines had been flat, breathless things, the turbo was a revelation in terms of its willingness and punch.

If the budget allows, the one to buy second-hand is the range-topping Titanium model, because that version got a pretty strong safety package. That included City Stop (a version of autonomous braking) that now worked at speeds up to 50km/h, blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross traffic alert.

But just to prove that the Focus wasn’t perfect even with a manual transmission fitted, a batch of cars built in 2015 and 2016 were recalled for clutches that could slip and overheat, leading to permanent driveline damage.

Meantime, the new turbocharged engine, while very good to use, did mean that the Focus owner could not continue to be the least bit casual about engine maintenance.

Like all small capacity, turbo engines, these things work hard in the normal course of things, so a supply of fresh, clean oil is crucial to their survival.

Avoid a car that has any gaps in its service record. That will also ensure that you’re entitled to any factory warranty left to run on a particular car.

While the new, smaller turbo engine was economical to use, if you get serious with it and start using the boost it has to offer, you might find it uses a bit more fuel than expected.

That’s typical of these engines, to be fair, but it remains that some owners who stepped out of the LW into the LZ model suddenly found they were using a bit more (rather than a bit less) fuel day-to-day.

That was possibly compounded by the conventional automatic transmission which, on paper, won’t be quite as economical as a double-clutch unit (when it was operating properly).

But all that said, we’d still be happy to buy a second-hand LZ Focus, while you couldn’t pay us to go near the older LW version.

And that’s really the bottom line here: The new car was suddenly a viable package and built on all the Focus’ good points while eradicating the major glitch in the mix; that damned Powershift transmission.

But as Ford has discovered, swapping the gearbox was one thing, changing the market’s perception is another altogether.

Dislikes:

Competitors:

Toyota Corolla – The default purchase for many hatchback buyers. Reputation is gilt-edged and even the standard CVT doesn’t put people off. Interior of early version was a bit confronting. 3.5 stars

Mazda 3 – Popular and not without charm. Cabin space is a bit more limited thanks to styling and cabin can still be noisy on some surfaces. Popular with kids, so watch out for crash damage and iffy repairs. 3.5 stars

Hyundai i30 – Hatchback that helped establish Hyundai as a major player. The i30 in recent times has become a mature hatch that does the job without a fuss. SR model is a good performer if you can afford it. 3.5 stars